4

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles is one of my top 5 favorite Female entertainers of all time! I hold much love and admiration for her, while remaining a true fan throughout her years in Destiny's Child, and as a solo artist. I have been anxiously awaiting her new 2011 album. And finally, my copy arrived today, and has been playing in heavy rotation since, respectably!. "4" has blends of '80s and '90s Old School Hip-Hop and R&B, also including pure Pop excellence! The soothing, newly settled mood of this material provides total satisfaction, and offers a mature insight into several genere's of feel-good music. Part ballad-heavy and partly dominated by mid-tempo tracks, "4" shines through the window of perfection with a surprisingly, confident turn into the future of Ms. Knowles. "4" is, without a doubt, her greatest work to date! I am confidant that true music lovers will appreciate her new touch and, without hesitation, will begin strutting toward the new direction of which this 2011 debut will surely take you in!Track listing for 4:Track 1) 1+1 - 4:33. Let me get right down to business. "1+1" is such an exquisite piece of perfection! And I must say, vocally, Beyoncé has never sound better, as she lifts high above, and casually descends in pure delight. There is a bit of everything on this track, including the calm touch of the rock-guitar, the piano, the cymbals and more.Track 2) I Care - 3:59. With all seriousness, this is one of my absolute favorite songs featured! "I Care" serves a generous share of drums and percussion, all tied together with a nostalgic tempo. I especially adore the ending, in which the song rides out with Beyoncé repeating "I still care,"..followed with an "owww" at which point, crashes simultaneously with the flaring rock-guitar.Track 3) I Miss You - 2:58. I am completely spellbound by Ms. Knowles' vocals here. I get chills from start to finish! Her tone stirs emotions deep from within me, due to her raw, radiant and mature vocals. Edging on haunting, her tone gives off vibrations of a cold and lonely echo drifting through the Universe, soaring around full circle, straight to your mind, body and soul. For those of you who have ever loved someone, whether that might be family, a lover, a close friends, a confidant...trust me, you will wear this song as if it were an honor badge. Beyoncé said it best - "it don't matter who you are, it is sooo simple." "No matter who you love, it is sooo simple."Track 4) Best Thing I Never Had - 4:13. With this song, you get an important message of empowerment, presented with the tickling of the classic piano. Beyoncé takes the listener through the trials and tribulations of a one-sided relationship, and does a wonderfully convincing job of making vulnerability seem like a form of bravery, with class and sophistication! Beyoncé never fails to bring the truth to the table; as evident with past successors such as "Me, Myself & I," and "Irreplaceable." "Best Thing I Ever Had" provides you with the same level of security and comfort, with a unique song-title and an uplifting rhythm to soften the blow. Afterall, this is her 4th album, with a minor return of past love issues on the surface, only this time, in the form of new timeless material.Track 5) Party feat. Andre 3000 (contains samples from "La Di Da Di" performed by Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew feat. MC Ricky D, written by Douglas Davis) - 4:04. I always BuMp-bA-BuMp this track every time I play this album. "Party" will go down as one of her most distinguished songs, ever! Andre 3000 provides the Hip-Hop aspect, and does his thing quite well, as usual! There is a faint essence of '90s girl-group SWV, held down by Ms. Knowles, as she turns it out in her own right. The return of '80s synth and puttering percussion makes for a...well...a party!Track 6) Rather Die Young - 3:42. Starts off - "Boy you'll be the death of me, you're my James Dean, you make me feel like I'm 17," and soon after "You drive to fast, smoke to much, but that don't mean a thing, 'cause I'm addicted to the rush." What follows after is an in-your-face chorus, intertwined with an explosion of retro instruments. Again, songs like this make you think about your significant other, and even stirs up past memories of that special someone, leaving you with personal intimate feelings once shared together.Track 7) Start Over - 3:18. Once again, Beyoncé comes with all (vocal) barrels blazing, as she points out the possible reasons for a fading relationship. On this track, Beyoncé delivers heartbreak with purpose: to remind us just how overwhelming love can be. There is everlasting strength in her vocals, pushing out feelings of anger, despair, and regret, with a hint of optimism all melted into one.Track 8) Love On Top - 4:27. This song is heavily doused with early '90s Old-School flavor, and gives an instant refreshing sigh of relief for all whom, like me, remember those genuine days of R&B! The trumpet and percussion blast out with early '90s pride and continue down that path to completion. Material such as this proves exactly why Ms. Knowles is positioned alongside greatness as an amazing Legend! It's very pleasant to hear her sing overtop a smooth retro rhythm, all while taking (you) the listener back to the good ol' days when music stood for something..when music had true meaning. Again, this type of laid-back dated material is greatly appreciated, and personally, wholeheartedly, I Thank you very much Beyoncé!Track 9) Countdown (contains samples from "Uhh Ahh" performed by Boyz II Men, written by Michael Bivins) - 3:31. Yet another favorite of mine, and I am in love with the instruments used throughout. The beat is contagious, and rides along with blends of caribbean heat. Beyoncé starts out this fun-filled countdown with a moment of harmonizing, then quickly, the song morphs into a trumpet blirting, drum-marching celebration. The verse: "damn I think I love that boy, do anything for that boy" automatically makes me think of my guy, as is true about the song itself.Track 10) End Of Time - 3:43. A GOLDEN entry on "4" indeed! With vocals as flawless as a cut diamond, "End Of Time" proves to be yet another classic. The marching drums re-emerge, and the bass pushes along with such venturesome rhythm. You simply can't help but to move your entire body, from your neck, down your spine, straight to your feet! This is easily my favorite summer song of 2011!Track 11) I Was Here - 3:58. Only one word I can use to sum up this song - Real! Ms. Knowles' words are deep and from her heart. You can feel the agony and conviction with every note. I can't say it enough, there is so much power in her vocals here...so mighty...so serious...so precise! Ms. Knowles expresses how much of an impact she hopes she has made throughout her early career to the present. The hope that she has made her mark throughout her career is really non-arguable, as I truly believe that she has accomplished that and then some! Her longevity expands with every breath she takes!Track 12) Run The World (Girls) - 3:56. The very 1st song and video that were both released as the album's front runners. You will feel and hear total instant maximum energy on this track, all laid about with a hyperactive beat, and wrapped together with female empowerment. "Who Run The World" condones you the freedom to dance your butt off with zero regret."4" is a plethora of mid-tempo cuts, rich with echoes of late-'70s/early-'80s Pop, cascading with powerhouse-balladry and early '90s soul. The listener will get a bit of everything, from personal slow jams, to grinding drill-beats, as well as a few marching two-step anthems, all of which keep you fixated. A bundle of instruments are in play and give a gigantic boost to each track, instruments such as the bass guitar, the rhythm guitar, the snare drum, the saxophone, keyboards, the trumpet, the synth...even the cello, as well as many more. While never allowing herself to repeat the same formula, Beyoncé has, once again, proven to the world that she is here to give us (her fans) nothing but the best. And as a perfectionist myself, I know the feeling of wanting nothing but the best, for the best! Rather than becoming a duplicate of today's music scene, Beyoncé has taken a left turn head on into the future of music! And of course, with progression comes miserable, negative naysayers, all whom have absolutely nothing to say as "4" will put them all to silence in shame! - Beyoncé Evolution - either you're with her or without!p.s. I was born September 13th 1981, and Beyoncé on September 4th, 1981 - Happy early B. Day Beyoncé (my spiritual Virgo twin).

Ok, so let me just begin by saying I'm shakin my head at all of the Beyonce haters....it's sad that whenever someone has attained the magnitude of commercial success that beyonce has, some people just cant take it. ...She's a sell out, she aint got no soul, she's not original, blah blah blah. Now we're all entitled to our own opinions, but quite frankly, how people can say that this album is a failure or not her best work is baffling!Ok...moving on to the actual review...I'll just go track by track:"1 + 1"Beyonce opens with the most powerful ballad I've heard her sing in a long time (since "Dangerously In Love")...she definately has soul, energy, power, grace (the way she controls her vocals is amazing)."I Care"This is one of my favorite tracks on the album...her voice is undeniably strong, powerful, and she has that beautiful control again. I love the drums in the background, and she kills it when she matches chords of the the guitar solo...she sounds angry, frustrated and fed up on this one...AND I LOVE IT! Definately blast this one when I'm in that kind of mood...I love how B can convey emotion so well in her music. Plus, I thought the "la la la" was a great touch."I Miss You"Love this one...she's so vulnerable...communicating a simple message "I miss my man" in a beautiful way."Best Thing I Never Had"Love it! Beyonce sings about how she "dodged the bullet" on giving her heart to a man she thought was THE one. "And to think there's a time when I almost loved you/ you showed your ASS and I saw the real you.../I wanted you bad/ I'm so through with that!/ Cuz honestly you turned out to be the best thing I never had/ I bet it sucks to be you right now!" A beautiful production by Babyface, great strong vocals by B; overall a great song that many women can relate to."Party"Out of all the tracks on the album, I'm feelin this the least. The beat is good, got a nice groove to it...but it seems out of place and immature among the other tracks; It sounds like something that would be on an old Destiny's Child album and it doesnt showcase her strong vocals at all."Rather Die Young"Another solid track...very self explanatory; she'd rather die young than live without her husband. She starts off soft and sweet, but sings the chorus strong and bold. Love the bass on this one too."Start Over"My favorite track on the album. Where to begin...the lyrics are so...powerful: "Maybe we've reached a mountain peak, and there's no more left to climb/ Maybe we've lost a magic piece, and we're both too blind to find/ Let's start over..." Of course, B's delivery is strong and on point...production is amazing...just an overall beautiful, amazing, well done track."Love on Top"Such a feel good track...one reviewer said it reminded them of something a young MJ would've done...totally agree...maybe that's why I like it so much :- But B's vocals are just as strong as ever on this one (are you noticing a pattern here???) and she makes the song her own. As an aside, she performed the hell outta this song on the VMA's this year!"Countdown"My favorite dance track on the album. It's so damn creative...the beat is hot, she just plain kills it singing about her and her boo."End of Time"Another hot dance track...I'm very much into African music, and so the drums on this track sold me. Just a great song all around."I Was Here"Sighs...AGAIN, B kills it on vocals...she delivers a simple message: I want people to know that I've made my mark in the music industry....and with this album she most certainly has. One reviewer said that she should've closed the album out with this track...I agree."Run The World (Girls)"Ok, everyone is sooo hype about bashing this song...oh it barely charted, then fell off quick, Beyonce is too old to be singing about how girls run the world, the song doesnt show growth cuz it sounds like something that should be on IASF, blah blah blah. Beyonce said so herself that her niche is empowering women...it's something she does well and she knows this. Again, I jus smdh at the haters...I dont care what NO ONE says, the song is HOT. The beat is HOT...again, the drums do it to me...and ok, so the concept of women dancing in the desert taunting a bunch of dudes has been done by Janet and Mya already, but whatever...choreography is still on point and the video is still a great production.If you couldn't tell, I LOVE THIS ALBUM...but I'm not just saying this cuz I want to be a rebel and go against B's haters. Beyonce IS very commercial, but not because she sings empty, immature pop songs with no depth or meaning; she appeals to a world wide audience because she's a damn good vocalist, writer, and entertainer. If people would just put their prejudices about this woman aside and actually LISTEN to the album, you cant deny the fact that she has grown so much vocally and lyrically as an artist; She really is the MJ of her generation.